Due to the passing of my closest cousin, Becky and I are now proud parents of a 27 yr old Scarlet Macaw named Rhett. He loves us already and was out on my knee today. Last night he was mimicing Bec's laugh...it was exactly like her giggle..I cracked up!!!!

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Anything worth doing is worth doing well. We are the keepers, it is our duty to preserve life.

Absolutely wonderful! I'm glad to hear that Rhett has taken to you so quickly, often these birds get depressed when their owner passes. I used to train birds for a large pet store when I was in college and we purchased a young Military Macaw that picked itself nearly naked out of depression. It would just sit on the bottom of its cage crying "daddy, daddy!" It was over a year before he was "recovered" enough to put back on the floor for sale.

Good luck, big birds are a lot of work, but they're a TON of fun as well!

Congratulations! He sounds wonderful! Scarletts are so pretty. Any of the birds can make short work of your moulding, chairs, anything wood & you should see what they can do to houseplants..after destroying em they are strong enough to fling some of the pots! You are lucky he likes you & has adjusted so well so quickly as Homebru said! (What a sad story..) Make sure he has a good diet, lots of veggies & fruits, beans, rice, eggs. They may have some "special" vitamin mineral needs, I'm not up on the macws. (timneh & greys for me!) He will continually crack you up, something new every day! Sooooo, where are the pics? :) J

Will post pics soon...he got alittle nasty today..not enuf sleep I think..I woke up real early. He bit both of us this afternoon and has just been pissy. After yesterday's milestone of coming out and playing we are left scratching our heads as to why he won't come out this evening. He was out alot during the day and may just be tired. We will let him take his time and do as he please's till it becomes an issue. Except for the biteing..

How do you scold such a cute bird. I've been warned not to show fear or let him try to "Train Us".

We are so lucky to have a Macaw trainer 1 street over. He does rescue of all breeds and makes our menagerie look small. Tom must have talked to noah...cause he's got one of everything, plus goats hehe.

Rhett has been picking up words fast for a bird his age and loves the snacks we give him. I've spoiled him rotten already.....bad daddy.

Any insights are welcome...you all are my " GO TO" guys. I'm so glad you all are here....

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Anything worth doing is worth doing well. We are the keepers, it is our duty to preserve life.

They are like people, have good & bad days. Like any other animal (people too..) there is a "honeymoon" stage. It takes firm, loving CONSISTANT, positive training from day one. Parrots are like a 3-4 year old kid. They are smart & learn quickly what is & isn't acceptable but will push just the same. As he learns he can trust you,(in his mind, his loving owner abandoned him) he will accept more. Give him time to acclimate & get used to watching/hearing your household. It is true not to let them know they can scare you, NEVER reward by doing exactly what they want you to when being aggressive or pissy. Try to distract in some way so you can end any session on a positive note IE, something leaning toward the behavior you want, no matter how small. As long as it isn't what he planned & neither of you are upset it is a win. You are lucky to have the resource close by, use him! He will have much more detailed info & tips specifically for Macaws! He can show you hands on how to do things, just like a bee mentor! Like all animals parrots use & read body language to communicate, have him show/explain to you what things mean. You see eye dilatation, head bobbing, weaving,certain feathers up or down, wing twitching (usually means annoyed). If they barf on you you are loved! This way you can adapt your expectations depending on what he is feeling before things get out of hand. J

Jody..you are the best! Rhett is still being a booger and I'm giving him his space. I don't want to ignore him, and don't want to let him think it's ok to take my finger off....(Still swollen) I know this takes time and I guess after the wonderful day we had I was hoping it would last.

I'm waiting for our expert to come over today for a look see/check up. I AM lucky..I know.Thanks again for taking time to fill me in.

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Anything worth doing is worth doing well. We are the keepers, it is our duty to preserve life.

Ohhh, he is gorgeous!! What did that guy say? If Rhett is used to human fiddling & company, he may initiate interaction when he is settled in & ready. He was probably pretty stressed w/the change in life, new people sounds, routines. Watch him carefully, just like with us stress can cause problems. Like most animals, they don't show illness till it's almost too late, you have to be almost intuitive about how they are feeling, acting & all that. He has a good home & "people" so I expect everything will work out & you all will enjoy each others company for many years to come! J

Yesterday was good day for Rhett, He got lots of sleep and was coaxed our by Becky. He has been use to no free time...outside cage until we got him. He spent almost all his time in his cage.

He seems to be very comfortable on the chair arm getting pin feather rubs. I nearly put him to sleep...the look on his face told it all. Not too much squaking, and he is relearning not to bite. Both my index fingers now hurt but he's learning it won't work. He doesn't seem too concerned about our cats and they keep their distance..don't like the noise.

We shared some steamed peas..he's very gentle and a dainty eater. Alittle cautious about the spoon at first, but after the first taste he was waiting for each bite.

I only have one concern, what happens when the family decides they want him back? The Daughter has showed intrest but is in school now. I hope to convince her it's best for the bird to have a stable LONG term home...not a shuttle service. I know it's risky to move him too much. Do they do ok on long trips? I'm sure you must keep them warm but do pressure changes hurt them?

Jody..you seem to be my online expert...comments?

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Anything worth doing is worth doing well. We are the keepers, it is our duty to preserve life.

Well, after speaking to the daughter I got the impression she was attached to him. I don't feel I have a right to keep him even tho the mother said it was ok for him to stay with us. It will at least 2-3 years before she can finish school and take him back.

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Anything worth doing is worth doing well. We are the keepers, it is our duty to preserve life.

I'm so glad he is adapting to your home! He is quite handsome & looks to know it too! They are amazing animals once you gain their trust. People are shocked that they can be so affectionate & gentle loving to be with you & doing silly things to get your attention. I think my favorite thing is when they gently preen a single hair or eyelash or almost sigh when you are scritching their necks or underwings. I make my cockatiels (only birds I have a/the moment) a treat of "cornbread" muffins. I get a cornbread mix,(or make 1/4 batch, use w/grain flour) & toss it in the blender w 2-3 eggs (in shell) a chunked carrot, apple chunks,winter squash, zucchini, peas,beets, kale,olive oil(not too much),& anything else I can scrounge up. I pour it into mini-muffin cups/tin & bake. You have to cook a little longer than normal. Also my "bean mix" 1c 15 bean soup mix or make your own. 1c brown rice, 1 c frozen corn 1c cat or dog food. Put 1 1/4 c water in pan add beans, bring to boil, cover set 1hr. Add rice, corn, cat food + 1c water. bring to boil again, cover let sit 1hr. I put it in used yogurt containers 2-3 feedings. freeze & take out as needed. use within 3 days. and YES, my animals eat better than we do. Hubby complains but I tell him he has opposable thumbs and a brain bigger than a walnut...it's not rocket science so figure it out! :evil: :roll: J

Wow! Very nice looking bird!! :) I have a catalina macaw. (scarlet x blue/gold) That is about 21 years old. I have had him now for about 11 years. They become quite the members of the family, that is for sure. Mine has unfortunatly become alittle more aggressive over the years, and doesn't take to strangers well. He has taken quite a liking to my husband, which is funny because he was my bird before we got married and my husband doesn't really have any great "love" of birds! He makes almost a "purring" noise when he sees him. Anyway- mine will eat just about anything. Lots of fresh veggies and fruits are always good for them. They can be pretty loud at times, I'm sure you may have already found that out. Be careful what you say around your bird, because they can pick up the darndest things. Mine can count to five, calls the dogs, my husband, mimics tv commercials and swears. All fine, until you have the minister and his wife over for dinner and your bird decides to "swear" very loudly during dinner... true story! Hope you get to keep your new family member for always, but if not, you will have learned alot & may want to buy a baby & hand feed..(very cool & fun) Did this with my umbrella cockatoo & he is the sweetest bird I have ever been around ;)